One of the first things Mac owners want to do after firing up their new purchase is to protect it from scratches. MacBook, PowerBook and iPod owners from all corners of the globe (if only it were square) spend money on cases, skins and bags. Well, in the form of Speck Products 'See Thru' case, I think they are on to a possible winner here, so let's take a look.

To date, the only shipping See Thru case for laptops is the MacBook Pro version, the Core2Duo revision and the MacBook will follow. This is a hard case, made of translucent plastic and is available either completely transparent, or as reviewed here in red. The red is a very punchy colour and really looks superb.The case itself comes supplied in two halves. You fit the top half first to the back of your screen, it just slips on and four small clips hold it in place. The bottom half is a little more tricky, with four clips securing the back, near the heat vents on the MacBook Pro. The back has to be put in place first, then the rest of the case is held on with two smaller clips. These small clips do not prevent the MacBook Pro from closing in the normal way, so you don't even notice they are there.

Once in place you have to be ready for the wow factor. It really shines and makes the MacBook Pro look even sexier than it did before. All of the ports remain accessible with the case on, nothing is obscured at all. It even made the screen/lid of the MacBook Pro feel more rigid, so may go someway toward preventing any warping in the future.If you are worried about heat, there are plenty of vents on the bottom of the See Thru case, so no worries there. Removing the case, if you really need to is a bit worrying. I suppose the fear is that one of the little tabs will scratch the MacBook Pro casing, but fear not, so long as you are careful, the See Thru case can be easily removed, leaving no damage at all.

Everything about the See Thru case made me smile. The fit is spot on, the finish is excellent, no sharp edges and it makes your laptop look really great. The all important factor of protection is also addressed, any knocks or scratches will be taken by the See Thru instead of marking the silver finish to your MacBook Pro.I can highly recommend this product and hope to bring you a review of the MacBook version when available.